


The Devil Wears Glasses

by ChaosController



Category: Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Beating, Bruises, Can be platonic or romantic, I might change the title, Joan is a reporter, Logan and Patton are unwilling villains, Only Valerie and Terrance have proper dialogue out of Thomas' friends, Shock Collars, Talyn's her nemesis, Terrance works at front desk, Valerie's a superhero, Virgil and Roman are superheroes, big bad boss controlling the villains, i should be writing other things instead of this, little blood and electric shocks, logan has a little trauma i guess, superhero au, you guys can be the judge of what relationship tags i use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 07:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11846907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaosController/pseuds/ChaosController
Summary: Time Stealer and the Dragon are superheroes, their nemesis' are Sun Burst and Sonic Scream.Not all villains are bad, some are just forced to act that way. Some people just don't have a choice in this dogfight that is life.(Superhero AU where Roman's pyrokinetic, Virgil can slow down time, Patton can scream really loud and Logan can teleport.)





	The Devil Wears Glasses

**Author's Note:**

> I thought this would be short...I was wrong, I was so very wrong...I may do a sequel to tie up the loose ends, maybe...
> 
> I'm sorry for any errors I've made. I'll work on it, but I don't think I'll be touching this story once it goes up. I've groomed it and it might be a little better. 
> 
> I'll add more tags if I think of any, for now, enjoy the story that took way longer than I thought it would. Peace <3

“You know that movie, ‘The Devil Wears Parada’?”, the white, red, gold and black suited superhero asked and the black clothed one looked back with a nod. They dropped into the alleyway below, making sure they hadn’t been seen before the man continued. “I think our situation is more like ‘The Devil Wears Glasses’, don’t you?”

There was a chuckle from the black and gray clothed superhero before the other got a reply. “You’re not wrong, Heir-head.”

“Hey…uncalled for, Verge”, the other shot back and Virgil let out a chuckle. He pulled the bag out from its spot inside the crumbling wall, opening it and grabbing civilian clothes out. He pushed the bag back into place for his partner. 

“Come on, that one was pretty good, Ro. But I think you’re right, our devils do indeed wear glasses”, Virgil said, moving forward down the alleyway and taking the chance out of the public’s eye to begin to change into normal clothes. 

Roman huffed softly and turned away. It was an understood fact that the two would change out of sight in an alleyway. One would guard the entrance, the other would change. They took turns as to who would be the first to guard and this time around it was Roman’s turn to guard the entrance in full superhero garb. A tap on his shoulder told him the other was done changing and he walked off to the side of the alleyway to change into normal clothing. Virgil waited and watched the entrance, ducking a little as someone stopped at the beginning of the alleyway. His eyes narrowed as the person turned to and fro before walking off again. 

“Done”, Roman said and the two quickly surveyed each other before taking their leave. Roman grabbed the bag and they shoved their superhero outfits in the duffle bag before he handed it to Virgil.

Virgil pulled the hood of his jacket up and turned his music on while Roman strolled beside him. They ignored each other until they reached an old apartment building, gray stone littering the street below its imposing height. They walked in through the doors, listening to the creaks and shouts from above. The pair smiled as they walked up to a window with a small hole at the bottom, separated from the floor by a decrepit desk. A man sat behind the glass playing with a bit of string, pulling it into complicated grids and shapes with his fingers. The man didn’t seem to notice them until Roman tapped lightly on the glass. He sprang to attention and smiled at them widely, string forgotten in a heartbeat. 

“Afternoon you two. My, aren’t you sweaty. Been running again? Good to see you two getting along after all these years”, the man said grinning from ear to ear. 

“Good afternoon to yourself Terrance. And may we ask how the others are?”, Roman asked and Terrance smile, pushing two security cards out through the hole at the bottom of the glass. 

“Good as ever. How’s the wife and kids?”, Terrance asked and Roman smirked at the code. Taking the two cards he handed one to Virgil and replied. 

“Fine, but we had a falling out last night”, Roman said and Terrance turned around, taking two more cards off hooks behind him he slid them under the glass to the two superheroes.

“I’ll see you tomorrow”, Terrance said brightly and the two turned, walking to the elevator. The metal doors slid open noisily and the pair took their places inside. The doors slid shut and they shared a look before Roman held his ID card up to the small scanner in the elevator. The elevator pinged and a small hatch slid open at the top of the elevator. A camera dropped down and the pair held up their ID cards next to their faces as the camera scanned them. There was a minute of silence before the camera disappeared and the elevator rattled, moving downwards slowly. Music began to play and the pair grimaced at how terrible it was. 

It took a little longer to reach base than usual, but they chalked it up to the new system in place after last month’s fiasco, wherein a spy was able to infiltrate base without so much as a beep from the alarm system. Luckily the spy was from the media so they were able to stop too much information being passed on and took the spy’s advice when they told them they should update the security. Joan had become a reliable informant on that front, sneaking in and testing their security was quickly becoming their second job. 

The lift stopped and the doors shuddered open to a small crowd of people. Most of the people were superheroes or janitors, there were a few who didn’t fit in – mainly the spouses of some superheroes – but it wasn’t too crowded. A couple walked into the lift behind Roman and Virgil and the doors closed with another rattled before the lift began to ascend. 

The pair walked through the small sea, making their way to their rooms. The building hid the base well. The base itself being walled by several layers of lead, steel, and other metals before it was encased in rubber. From the surface, it was undetectable and the only way in was the elevator…well, that and the small tunnel that led out into the park to be used only in emergencies. 

The base was home to a diverse group of superheroes and other people. At maximum capacity, it could hold a good fifty thousand people, at present it only held about a thousand, which was good for those who like their space or really needed it, like Virgil. The base also held small necessities in case of city wide evacuation or more specifically a superhero extermination plot where all superheroes needed to be hidden. These necessities included a water filtration system, rainwater tanks above ground and stored water below, a two-acre by two-acre wide garden, two Olympic sized swimming pools, a specialized training area, and housing. The housing consisted of two room blocks that were about seven-hundred-and-fifty-two square feet, these rooms held two bedrooms, a dining area, bathroom, and kitchen. 

Roman and Virgil walked to their room. Lucky number six-three-nine which was once used by Alpha Wolf, a woman who could turn into a wolf the size of a coach, and Rex-tar, an average man who could turn his body into a tar-like substance. It usually went without saying that those in your room where your crime fighting partner until you moved out, though some didn’t work under this rule. Most soloist’s roomed with each other, while those who required a compliment would room with their complement. The few times two compliments weren’t paired together they had been switched immediately. 

The dynamic duo in room six-three-nine had been paired unwillingly, but soon got used to it. Virgil with his portals and time-stopping abilities, of course, had limits. For the time he was stopped, his heart also stopped. He could stop time for as long as he wanted, but it was more slowing than stopping as he couldn’t bear the decrease in his heart beats. His signature moves usually revolved around backstabbing the enemy while using his time stopping abilities. 

Roman worked with fire related powers; being gifted fire-breathing and pyrokinesis at a young age. He didn’t have many weaknesses but often required time afterward to recharge his powers to full strength. After a long battle, he would barely be able to spit out a flame that would come from a tea light. He usually used his abilities to cause distractions while Virgil went in for the kill or more likely restraint. 

They worked together well due to one ability that would utterly drain both but was extremely effective if used right. Virgil could take things out of context and move them while in slowed time, yes, but he could also bring people into his time bubble and, as long as they both had skin to skin contact, could move wherever they pleased. This came in handy at the end of battles when both were at their limits. Roman would save up as much energy as he could then the two would walk through time, behind their target and Roman would blast them with a heat strong enough to turn bones to cinders in seconds. But due to it being extremely complicated to work with the pair never much used it.

The fire user stopped and let out a sigh of relief as he flashed his card up against the scanner, the door opening in seconds. They were about to enter when a yell from the end of the corridor made them both wince and turn. 

“Ro! Verge!”, a woman said, running up to them with the largest grin the two had ever seen on a person. Virgil stifled a sigh while Roman put on his most charming smile. “You guys were awesome today. I saw your fight on the Super-Vision screens. The way you two work together is amazing”, she said and the two nodded, trying their best to get out of the conversation. “And the way you made Professor Drakem tremble like that. You guys are the coolest.”

“Always nice to meet an admirer”, Roman said, somewhat enjoying the attention but also wishing he was in his bed, recharging for another fight tomorrow. 

“Oh, I’m not an admirer, I just wanted to ask you two something”, the woman said with a small smile, looking much shyer now as the question trembled on the tip of her tongue. 

“Oh, go ahead”, Roman encouraged, waiting for a while as Virgil tried to get past him into the six-three-nine. 

“Well…I was wondering…have either of you ever fallen for…you know…your nemesis?”, the woman finally asked and the two males froze on the spot. Roman was the first to recover laughing it off with a shake of his head while Virgil’s lips tightened into a thin line, turning down at the ends. 

“No, no, no, no, no. You can’t fall for your nemesis. That…that’s preposterous”, Roman said with an awkward laugh. The woman looked a little skeptical, but otherwise shrugged and said her farewells to the duo. 

“My name’s Valerie by the way. You can call me Val or Icey for short”, Valerie said as she walked away from the two. Roman glanced back at Virgil, who shifted uncomfortably and the two made their retreat inside, separating almost immediately to their bed rooms. The bedrooms themselves were covered in certain materials that were either fire resistant or fire retardant. Due to Roman’s abilities and those of their predecessors those running the superhero bases were required to add multiple layers of extra materials so as to make the rooms more inhabitable. 

Things like fireproofing or the ability to flood the room with whatever was necessary for comfort weren’t as needed as soundproofing and set temperatures. Each room was equipped with soundproofing material, fire resistant and water-resistant material, two fire extinguishers and two drains. All of which were hidden out of sight due to their supposed ugliness. Each room also came with a desk, bed, closet, chair, desk light and electrical outlets. These were also water and fire proofed for extra measures.

Virgil lay down on his bed and let felt his body release the pent-up tension from the fight. His mind drifted to the nemesis duo that had tortured them since day one. Glasses shining like gold in the setting sun, black rims dark and foreboding. Brown hair swept to the side in a neat curve, eyes dancing with a fiery passion that was only rivaled by Roman’s. He swallowed as the eyes blinked at him slowly from his time bubble, thin lips turned upwards at the corners in amusement, one leg stuck out below his body as the man tried to sweep him off his feet.  
Black and blue swirled together in a feast for the eyes as the two men worked, back to back to fight the superheroes. Virgil’s eyes darted to his partner, fire spilling from his mouth like a dragon, hot enough to melt the metal in the concrete below their feet. The partners first fight flashing through Virgil’s mind at top speed, small fragments slowing and halting as he remembered the adrenaline rush, the power, the motivation. 

A knock snapped him out of his daydream and the time slowing superhero sat up on his bed. His eyes moved from the floor to his door as Roman poked his head through the crack. There were a few minutes of silence as they stared at each other, eyes showing no emotion before Roman spoke. 

“Dinner’s ready if you want it”, Roman said, head disappearing from the door, the wooden object closing behind the pyrokinetic. Virgil stayed where he was for a moment, wondering for a brief second if Roman had actually cooked something instead of ordering, the thought was dismissed when the air filled with the scent of Roman’s favorite take out. Virgil grumbled lightly, but couldn’t ignore the rumble his stomach gave off at the thought of food, even if it wasn’t his favorite. 

With a sigh, he pushed himself off his bed and to the door, opening it and letting his eyes wander around the small dining area, a small hallway populated by a couch and a TV. Roman sat on the couch, legs spread over a good portion of the red surface as the TV flickered and he ate his meal. Virgil growled lightly under his breath before walking over to the couch, shoving Roman’s legs off the surface and grabbing something to eat from the boxes on the floor in front of him. The pyrokinetic didn’t protest much, but he seemed a little miffed about having his legs shoved off the couch. 

They stayed silent as the TV flashed images of other superheroes fighting nemesis and crime alike. Roman turned up the sound as their fight of the day flashed on the screen. 

“And today we had yet another glimpse of the famed crime-fighting duo; Time Stealer and The Dragon”, the reporter said and the pair groaned at the names. It wasn’t exactly up to them to decide on their names, but they had tried to make the names they'd be stuck with the names they wanted to be known by. Now here they were, three years older and stuck with Time Stealer and The Dragon. Virgil bit down on a piece of pizza with as much force as he could while Roman began his traditional complaining about the names. He stopped as video footage began to play of their fight.

“As seen here Time Stealer is using his famous time stopping powers to get behind his enemy, while The Dragon is using his flame breath to melt the iron above them, thus sealing Professor Drakem in solid iron. I would not want to that guy right now. I love my iron but that’s a bit too much if you ask me”, the reporter said and Virgil let out a snort of laughter. 

“Oh, like you would know how hot the fire needs to be to melt something like that”, Roman said with a frown. Virgil let out another huff of laughter. 

“Meanwhile on the other side of the city our duo’s nemesis’ were fought off by Axel and Steel”, the reporter announced and the superhero duo coughed, pizza sent flying in shock and confusion. “We have the whole fight on video thanks to an observer, so let’s take a gander at the fight.”

“Th-they fought Axel and Steel?”, Roman asked, watching as the TV began to play the footage, people screaming in the background as two figures darted across the screen.

“And here you can see Sonic Scream and Sun Burst as they attack an old apartment building. You can see the people below screaming for them to stop and…here they come”, the reporter said as the black blur on screen was sent out of view by a silver and grey blur, the blue clothed man turned around and dodged as another silver blur tried to ram into him. “There they are folks, Axel and Steel”, the reporter said happily and the pair couldn’t help but grimace as the camera moved to a large crater in the road where the silver and grey clad man was holding the black clothed man up. “Looks like Sun Burst is going to have to think of something good to get out of this”, the reporter said before the grey clad man was blown off the black clad man. Sun Burst falling to the ground as Sonic Scream dropped like a stone to the ground, racing to the other nemesis. Sun Burst moved and pushed himself up out of the crater, Sonic Scream offering him a white glove clad hand. Sun Burst took is eagerly and the pair put their backs together as the grey clothed duo descended upon them. There was a burst of light and the picture turned dark for a second, returning shortly after to show the grey clad duo lying in pain on their backs, Sun Burst and Sonic Scream gone. 

Roman almost let out a small whoop of joy, before realizing that he was supposed to despise Sun Burst and Sonic Scream. He let out an awkward chuckle while the TV flashed back to the reporter who began to chat about another superhero duo. 

“Admit it, Princey. You’re happy that Axel and Steel didn’t win against our nemesis’”, Virgil said with a small smile and Roman let out a chuckle, fire spurting from his mouth as he smiled widely at his partner. 

“Well, that just means we’re better than them, right?”, Roman asked and Virgil smirked at the thought. 

“I guess we are. I mean Sun Burst and Sonic Scream aren’t that hard to fight once you know their weaknesses”, Virgil said and Roman laughed softly. 

“Remember when Sonic Scream threw you into the building with his sonic screech?”, Roman said with a laugh and Virgil punched the pyrokinetic’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, but that was a one-time thing. You were supposed to have my back”, Virgil growled out as Roman laughed, Virgil’s distressed face surfacing from his memories. It had been one of their first battles together, each thinking they could outdo the other and become a solo superhero. Sun Burst and Sonic Scream had gained the upper hand due to that and were able to defeat the two in less than ten minutes. It took the added power of several other superheroes to make them leave and the two bespectacled villains ran away from the fight. 

It took a while, two months to be exact, for the base to finally give the pair the all clear to get back out onto the streets to fight. This time they worked together. After encountering Sun Burst and Sonic Scream once more the pair figured out their nemesis’ weakness’. Each other. The two seemed inseparable, always fighting alongside each other, but the superheroes knew for sure when Roman threatened to burn Sun Burst’s face off. It was the end of the fight and all four males were heavily depleted of energy, but Virgil found out the hard way not to underestimate Sonic Scream when Sun Burst was threatened. The man, even though he had been completely drained of any energy he had was able to make a sonic blast strong enough to knock everyone within a two-mile radius to the ground. Roman had been knocked over and Sonic Scream was at Sun Burst’s side in an instant, picking up his partner and letting Sun Burst transport them away in a flash of light. 

After the battle, the superheroes made sure to keep the information to themselves, for some reason they felt…pity for the duo. So, they kept the supervillain’s weaknesses a secret. They may want to keep them from hurting people, but they were human too and no one who was that afraid for another life could be that bad. 

Logan groaned softly and turned over on his side, the steadily forming bruise making him groaned as another hit was landed on his back. 

“Maybe if you hadn’t run away again, this wouldn’t be happening”, the man said as he landed another hit on Logan and the other stopped moving. The man picked up Logan’s body by his hair and looked him in the eye, fire filled brown meeting dull brown. “You find that base tomorrow or you’ll be the next skull on my wall”, the man hissed out, dropping Logan to the ground and giving him another kick to his side before opening the metal door at the end of the room with the click of a button. He stepped back as Patton rushed forward, dropping to Logan’s side, hands fluttering over the groaning man. 

Patton’s collar beeped as his lips twitched into a snarl, red light glowing as an electric shock ran through his body. Patton growled as the man walked forward, a shock from the collar stopped him from making a move towards the larger man. He panted lightly, moving his body to cover Logan’s as much as he could. The collar shocked him again but he growled through it and glared up at the man who had hurt Logan. 

“Next time I won’t be so merciful”, the man said, dropping a hand to rub Patton’s head, eyes cold and dark as he forced Patton’s head back to look him in the eye. “Don’t let this happen again”, the man growled pushing Patton’s head back making the man fall to the side. The large got one last kick in at Logan and walked further back into the office. Patton growled lightly, but picked up his partner gently, sliding the other onto his back as the light on his collar dimmed.

Patton walked out of the office and waited until the door had closed behind him before he ran as fast as his legs would go to the medical bay. The medical bay being a small room crowded with beds and hospital equipment that was so out of date it looked as if it’d been taken from a museum. Probably had, Patton mused as he slid Logan off and onto the bed before walking off to get some bandages. He grumbled lightly at the queue for medical supplies, maybe if he could use his powers he could get Logan back into the green zone quicker. 

It took at least an hour for Patton to get even halfway through the line, but just as things were looking better than before a voice blasted over the intercom and Patton felt a shock run up his back as his anger grew. 

“We are sorry to announce that all supplies have been used up completely. Those in line will be first to get supplies once they arrive tomorrow morning”, the robotic voice said and Patton growled. There was uproar from the rest of the line, but Patton just walked away and back to Logan’s bed, dodging the other supervillains as they began to riot, fists wrapping against the bulletproof glass that separated the med bay from the supplier. 

“Sorry, kiddo. Looks like you’ll have to spend a day in the med bay”, Patton said softly, tracing the edge of Logan’s glasses with a downturned mouth. He couldn’t help but feel partially responsible for Logan’s present condition, if he hadn’t told Logan to run then none of this would have ever happened. Then again, it was nice to have the other look so peaceful for once. 

A laugh echoed behind Patton and the man wrapped a hand around Logan’s wrist before linking their hands together. Pairings were weak, or so they said. Patton and Logan were abnormalities in this dog eat dog world. Two pinpricks of light trying to make their way to each other. 

Down here, in the underbelly of the city, supervillains blossomed and grew. Patton and Logan were just two of the many villains that were forced to be…well…villains. They didn’t like it, not all of them, but with the collars they couldn’t leave or do anything. The boss watched their every move and even then, not a day went by where they weren’t shocked for some reason. 

Another laugh followed by a jeer that had Patton’s teeth grinding against each other. 

“Look at them. So, weak they need support and when they can’t handle it they run away, no wonder they’re the boss’s least favourite”, a shrill voice said, not even having the decency to whisper the words. 

Patton felt his collar shock him as the red light glowed brightly against his blue and grey attire. That wasn’t even remotely true. The boss detested them because they were strong, too strong. They were also detested because they had the power to overthrow the boss. The man detested them out of fear. They had tried once, almost succeeded until the damned collar system came into play. Now every villain with enough power to be considered a nemesis had to wear one just in case they had…second thoughts. 

Logan’s grip on his hand tightened and the man began to sit up, slowly, but surely. 

“You shouldn’t be up”, Patton whispered softly, concern running rampant across his features as his hand went to clasp Logan’s shoulder only to remember too late that the boss had kicked him there. Logan grimaced in pain and adjusted his glasses. 

“Sorry. I should have gotten us out of that sooner…or tried to fight back”, Logan said, his face falling into a frown. 

“You did what you had to do. You’re…you’re not like me, you can’t just belt out a scream that deafens a neighbourhood”, Patton said, ignoring the laughter and harsh words behind him. Logan didn’t seem to take to the words too well as he pulled his hand out of Patton’s grip and rubbed his face. 

“I should be able to do something. Anything is better than…what I do”, Logan said, rubbing his hands over his shoulders in embarrassment. Patton felt pity swell in him and he almost apologised to Logan before he realised the other was trying to get off the bed. 

“You shouldn’t be getting out of there”, Patton whispered, eyebrows drawn taunt over his bespectacled eyes. 

“There are other people who need the beds more than me. It’s just a few bruises. I can handle it”, Logan said, standing and making his way past Patton to the med bay entrance. Patton sighed and raced after his partner, walking closely behind the other. 

The pair were special in some ways and refused to discuss their powers in the open out of fear for each other. Patton could scream at a disturbingly high frequency, causing some damage to the area around him, but he could also use people’s fears against them. It was an unsettling power that caused people’s eyes to turn as black as coal while they experienced their worst fears. People would scream to make it stop, clawing at their skin and faces while the power was in use. Patton never used it…why would he want to use something so horrible?

Logan was secretive about his powers in particular due to the repercussions that may occur should people find out. His powers weren’t extremely helpful, but they could be in the right circumstances. Logan was a psionic. Able to manipulate technology to a certain degree, the only drawback being his own mind. If he knew how a machine worked he could easily take control of it and use it to help Patton and himself. Then there were his teleportation abilities, the more well-known of the two he held. The burst of light that allowed him to transport himself and others many miles away. It was once said he could travel to the moon and back in ten seconds. While this may be the case, he was not willing to test it out. The downside was how tiring it was to use, making him extremely vulnerable during a fight. He had no idea why they felt the need to collar him, but they did and that was that. 

The pair roomed together in a small space with barely five feet between them, such was the life living under a dictator-ous boss like theirs. There were no beds, no bathrooms, no heating or air conditioning units. Just a concrete floor with two mattresses and a few blankets. Patton insisted Logan have two of the three, especially during winter, the other would argue back and the two would go back and forth until finally they just pushed the two mattresses together and laid all three over their shivering forms. It was a far cry from the luxury the superheroes must enjoy, that was for sure. 

Logan turned a corner and Patton followed swiftly, walking faster to keep up with the black clad man. They passed the common area; a large concrete room with two TV’s that blasted the fights they would participate in. Someone swore at Logan as he passed and Patton sped up, glaring at the person as the pair walked passed the door. The man stepped back slightly at the sight of Patton’s lit up collar, red LED light glowing brightly against the dark metal. It didn’t shock him, but it did glow and while it was annoying it wasn’t always bad. Patton remembered when the light had lit up at random during a small verbal fight with two of the boss’s underlings. They’d run off in the opposite direction apologising profusely. Afterwards Patton had gone to Logan, the only psionic he knew and found out that Logan had figured out how the lights worked, thus he was able to turn it on without Patton having to be angry. 

Knowing this, the pair had tried in vain to work out how the collars worked so as to stop the shocks and get the stupid things off. Needless to say, Logan spent many nights awake trying to figure out how to get them off. He failed each night and with the failure came the self-loathing. Patton tried to help, but there was little he could do when his partner was so far gone already. 

“You need your boyfriend to protect you”, a voice jeered from the doorway of the common area and Patton almost whipped around to give them a piece of his mind. Logan’s hand on his arm stopped him and the two continued walking to their room. Being a pair with almost extreme levels of co-dependency made them wary of others and other’s opinions of their partner. Since Logan could barely defend himself in a fight, Patton took to protecting Logan off and on the battle field. Logan took to making sure Patton didn’t get himself shocked or cause a fight to break out in the base. 

They relied on each other to get through the day. To stay safe and unharmed. It turned from a strength into a weakness when the boss found out. If the duo did something wrong he’d hurt the psionic, knowing they’d both learn a lesson from the use of brute force. 

The pair entered their room and Patton immediately consoled Logan, who in the safety of the not monitored room was able to release a pained cry from walking all the way from med bay to where they currently were. 

“I told you. You should have rested in the med bay, kiddo”, Patton said softly, pulling Logan into his chest and walking backwards until his legs hit the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through Logan’s hair and frowned as the other began to curl up on his chest. “Don’t go to sleep, we still need to get dinner”, Patton said in a quiet voice. 

“Don’t want any”, Logan said petulantly, letting his eyes close as he snuggled into the warmth of Patton’s chest. Patton sighed softly and wrapped his arms around Logan’s back, pulling the other in closer and trying to be mindful of the scars and bruises the other had recently accumulated. 

“You need to eat”, Patton muttered into Logan’s hair, rubbing a hand over the other man’s shoulder blades and upper spine. Logan murmured something into Patton’s shirt and the man gently lifted Logan’s head up with two fingers, thumbing the man’s cheek lightly. “I didn’t catch that, sorry.”

“I said, I don’t. You know I don’t”, Logan groaned softly and Patton let his head drop back into the blue shirt, a shard of guilt impaling itself in his stomach at Logan whimpered lightly, the bruise on his cheek fading from white to deep red once more. Of course, Logan wouldn’t eat if he didn’t have to. Logan didn’t have to eat. Part of his psionic powers was having a stomach like a rechargeable battery. He didn’t have to eat and could go days without so much as a crumb of bread, even when he did eat he didn’t eat much. He never got any thinner, body retaining all the muscle mass he had accumulated over years of fighting. 

“Fine, you don’t have to eat. But don’t come running to me when your stomach starts to growl”, Patton reprimanded, frowning into the soft brown mop Logan called hair. 

“You know I won’t”, Logan said, eyelids dropping closed as he fell asleep on Patton’s chest. Patton sighed happily and gently pulled his body across the bed until his head was on the pillow. He curled his arms around his partner and let his eyes close as he drifted off into the abysmal darkness of sleep. 

Roman pushed himself up off the bed and groaned, fire escaping his mouth a little as the build up from over the night was expelled from his lungs. With a sigh he stood and stretched, beginning his daily routine; get out of bed, take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, train until fight time. 

He met Virgil in the dining area. The man was seated on the couch, a bowl of what Roman assumed to be cereal clutched close to his chest as he mixed it around the container with his spoon. 

“Anything?”, Roman asked and Virgil shook his head, attention captivated by the TV showing a fight. Roman didn’t even bother asking if the man had been there all night, it was obvious he had. His bags didn’t seem to be any lighter, but that was normal. Roman had come to expect to see them every morning over the past four years. 

A growl from his stomach made the pyrokinetic wince. He made his way from the dining area to the kitchen, grabbing milk from the fridge as he passed. He fiddled around with the spoons in the only filled drawer and grimaced at the clattering his bowl made as he took it out of the crockery cupboard. He poured out the cereal Virgil was currently eating and added his milk being careful not to spill it as it splashed into his bowl. He yawned and took his breakfast over to the couch, dropping down onto the soft cushions with Virgil. The pair ate in silence, watching the pictures flash on the TV. 

About an hour later a horn sounded. Roman sighed heavily and Virgil groaned, dropping his empty bowl onto the ground, the metal spoon clinking loudly against the porcelain. The pair stood, stretching and Virgil wandered into his room to get dressed. Roman took the time to do some warm ups. Another horn sounded and Virgil walked out, growling under his breath and grabbing the duffle bag on the floor near his door. 

“Let’s go”, Virgil grunted and the pair walked to the door, opening and closing it before they ran to the elevator they had used the previous day. Roman was the first in, swiping his card and dropping both his and Virgil’s ID cards into the small slot that opened, sending them back to Terrance. 

“Wait up!”, a female voice yelled out and Roman stopped the doors from closing as a female rushed in, slightly red from the run. The lift doors closed and the elevator shuddered into motion. There was silence before the girl turned to the other superheroes and the men realized the girl was Valerie. 

“Nice to see you again”, Valerie said and Roman smiled, Virgil sneering a little and pushing his back into the elevator’s back wall. 

“A pleasure as always, Valerie”, Roman said with a chuckle and Valerie smiled at them. 

“Who are you two off to fight?”, the ice user asked, eyes lighting up in anticipation. 

“Probably Sonic Scream and Sun Burst”, Roman answered. Valerie squealed lightly.

“That’s so cool. I wish I could fight guys like that”, the female superhero said. 

“Who are you fighting?”, Roman asked, feeling a little pride well up inside him. Virgil huffed but smiled a little at the notion their nemesis’ were powerful. 

“I’m fighting my nemesis too. They’re pretty awesome”, Valerie said with a small smirk. 

“Oh, who’s your nemesis?”, Roman asked as the door opened and the three began to walk out. 

“Terror-Former”, Valerie said with a smile and the males stopped in shock. “I’d better get going. It was nice chatting with you two!”, the ice user said before running out the door with a wave in the pair’s direction. 

“Terror-Former?”, Roman asked, still in shock as the pair began to walk again. 

“Bye boys! See you in a couple of hours”, Terrance said, bidding them farewell as they walked out the front doors and onto the street. They kept walking until they heard screams. They ran into an alley, changed and shoved the bag under a dumpster out of sight. They scaled the wall of a building and looked down at their nemesis’ below. A shockwave pushed them off their feet as the building shook with the Sonic Scream’s release of a shriek. Roman grabbed at the railing that surrounded the top of the building, grabbing Virgil’s arm as he held on. Virgil squeezed his hand and the world began to slow down. Roman smirked as a bird above slowed down to almost a standstill. With a sigh, Roman shakily stood and the pair moved to descale the building, joining the fray of police and supervillains. From the time bubble, the two moved in slow motion, twin smirks adoring their faces as Sonic Scream opened his mouth for another shriek while Sun Burst pulled out twin pistols and let four bullets fly, hitting the police car’s windows making them shatter on impact. 

Time sped up and Virgil gasped for air, heart accelerating once more while Roman let out a spray of fire, putting his body in between the villains and his partner as the fire scorched the ground. Light flashed from the villains and then again above Roman and Virgil. Virgil grabbed Roman’s arm and the world slowed once more. The time manipulator moved them out of the way and released his bubble, breathing heavily while Roman breathed out some fire and twisted it around his fingers waiting for the duo’s next move. 

“You’re late today”, Sonic Scream said with a smile and Sun Burst chuckled lightly. 

“Would have been here quicker if you two hadn’t almost toppled that building”, Roman said, gesturing to the building he had previously been standing on. Sonic Scream snickered lightly before taking his usual place in front of Sun Burst. 

“Shall we, Dragon?”, Sonic Scream asked, eyes glittering behind his glasses. 

“Let’s”, Roman replied, running forward and letting the fire, previously dancing around his fingers, dart forward, striking the ground Sonic Scream previously stood. A burst of light from above signalled to the heroic duo that Sun Burst had teleported them. Roman instantly redirected his attack and tried to strike them with a vehemence unbecoming of a superhero. Sonic Scream let out a powerful attack, making the fire waver and fade into the air. Roman pulled his arm back to his side, the fire that remained rekindling itself as it reached its user. 

Virgil smirked as the fight progressed. Sun Burst keeping a hand on Sonic Scream so they could teleport. If he could get Burst away from Scream the fight would be over and that would be that. He slowed time and ran forward at full speed once the villain duo hit the ground. He grabbed Sun Burst’s shoulder and tugged the man behind him, time slowing for the villain as they made contact. 

“Let go!”, Sun Burst yelled and time sped up again. Virgil gasped for air while Sun Burst struggled to make the hero let go. 

“Stop struggling”, Virgil growled out watching as Sonic Scream’s head turned to the villain and hero. The sound user paled and took a step back, eyes wide as they took in Sun Burst’s struggling form. 

“Go home”, Virgil growled out, aiming his words at Sonic Scream. The man swallowed, eyes glued to his partner. Virgil shivered slightly, feeling his body chill. His vision darkened, but he could clearly see Sonic Scream’s eyes turn completely black. Then it was all gone and replaced by this sense of confusion and fear. “W-what?”, Virgil asked softly before noticing Sun Burst had gone silent and still, his head the only thing that was moving, shaking to and fro ever so slightly. 

“Let him go and we’ll leave”, Sonic Scream said calmly and Virgil looked the man over, wetting his lips as the fear receded. The blue clad man seemed genuine and the hero had no reason to distrust the duo. Virgil nodded slowly and set Sun Burst down, the black and blue clad man whimpering lightly. Virgil looked down confused, he hadn’t hurt the teleporter in any way, but here he was laying on the ground looking like he had fought a battle of epic proportions. 

Sonic Scream rushed over, not caring if people saw. He dropped to the ground and ran feverish hands over his partner’s shaking body. Roman moved to the three, keeping his movements slow and calm. 

“What’s wrong?”, he asked as he slipped into place next to Virgil. 

“Not sure”, Virgil whispered back, watching the villain duo with wary eyes. 

“Lo, speak to me. He-he didn’t hurt you too much…come on…we-we have to leave”, Sonic Scream said softly, gently running a hand through his partner’s hair. 

“Hey, uh…would you like some help?”, Roman offered, but the villain duo didn’t look at him. Sonic Scream gently touched his partner’s side and the heroes stumbled back a bit as the man let out a cry of pain. 

“I-I told you…you should have stayed in med bay…y-you idiot”, Sonic Scream whispered, taking a hold of the other villain’s shoulder and gently squeezing it. Sun Burst recoiled a little, curling up with a whimper. Roman and Virgil stared, before realising how serious this could be and taking action. Roman let out a stream of fire into the sky, making it wrap around in a circle, spreading out a little and dropping to the ground and creating a wall of fire. Virgil grabbed Roman’s shoulder and slowed time down. The pair walked over to the villains and Roman grasped Sonic Scream’s outfit. The man started back at the contact. 

“W-what are you doing?”, the villain asked before Roman tugged him to his feet.

“Get Sun Burst and let’s go”, Roman said, looking back as Virgil began to pant, his grip on Roman tightening. 

“Wh-what?”, Sonic Scream asked before looking back at Virgil, realising he was using his time powers. Sonic Scream nodded slightly before bending down to grab his companion. The other villain winced, but made no effort to move other than that. Roman took a hold of the man’s arm and the three walked to the edge of the fire wall. Roman dropped it and the three raced out of it and away from the scene. They ran into an alleyway and out of sight, Virgil dispersing the bubble and grabbing the wall as his heart thundered against his lungs. 

Roman looked over at Virgil and the two smirked lightly, a signal that they were okay and out of danger. There was a series of yells and the heroes moved further back into the alleyway, making sure to block the villains from view. The pair turned their gaze to their nemesis’. The alleyway was dark, cold and damp. Virgil gestured to Roman he was going to stand close to the entrance and Roman nodded, moving towards the villains. He dropped to his knees in front of Sonic Scream and Sun Burst. His eyes wandered over the teleporter before a red, glowing dot on his neck made him do a double take. He looked at Sonic Scream whose eyes seemed to dull at the sight, a red dot appearing on his own neck. 

“You saved him”, the man said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. “Thank you.”

Roman didn’t know what to say, so he opted for silence until he thought of something to say. 

“We couldn’t just leave you two there. You…you needed us”, Roman said softly, biting his lip as he ran a hand over his white outfit. 

“You didn’t have to help us though. We’re villains, you could have just left us there”, Sonic Scream said with a small, gentle smile. 

“Uh…if I may ask…what’s that light on your neck?”, Roman asked, feeling a little self-conscious about asking about it. 

“Oh, that…uh…I suppose we could tell you”, Sonic Scream said before he pulled his mask off and rolled down the collar of his outfit. The red light gor brighter, illuminating the metal band around the man’s neck. Their eyes met and Roman knew that whatever that metal band around Sonic Scream’s neck was, it was not good news.

“What is it?”, Roman asked, reaching a hand out to trace the metal band. 

“A collar. It, uh…it shocks us if we do something wrong”, Sonic Scream said and Roman felt a little anger well up within him. 

“Who…who put this on you? Does Sun Burst have the same thing?”, Roman asked, firing out his questions quickly, anger building. 

“Sun Burst? Oh, uh, right. Yes, yes, we both have them…we…we all have them”, Sonic Scream said softly, face darkening as his hand reached out and grasped Sun Burst’s hand. 

“That…that’s unacceptable! Who are they? Who’s making you do this?”, Roman asked eyes glowing as small bursts of flame escaped his mouth. 

“Stop. I-I’m getting upset and it…it’ll shock me if I get angry”, Sonic Scream said with slightly pleading eyes. 

“I…sorry, sorry. I just…you shouldn’t be forced into fighting us because of these…collars”, Roman said with a grimace. “You’re basically slaves to these things, right?”

“I…I guess so. It’s…not pleasant, but we’d have an even worse time if they found out about our other powers…you, uh…Time Stealer saw a little of mine”, Sonic Scream said with a small squeeze of his partner’s hand. 

“You have other powers?”, Roman asked with wide eyes. Sonic Scream nodded then looked behind Roman at Virgil. Roman turned his head and glanced over at Virgil who seemed to be waving him over. “I’ll be right back”, the hero said and Sonic Scream nodded in understanding. Roman took his leave and walked over to Virgil. 

“Hey, so base is calling…what should I do?”, Virgil asked as the tiny communicator in his glove flashed a soft white. 

“Don’t answer it, they can track us here and I don’t think they’d take too kindly to knowing we helped out our nemesis’”, Roman said with a frown. Virgil nodded and the two walked back to the villain’s. They heard a groan and Sonic Scream smiled down at his companion, Sun Burst seeming to be a little dazed, but awake nonetheless. 

“Good to see you up, kiddo”, Sonic Scream said with a smile, the two heroes dropping to their knees. Virgil nudged Roman and raised an eyebrow at the collars around their nemesis’ necks. 

“Controls them”, Roman said quietly and Virgil frowned, looking from Sonic Scream to Sun Burst. 

“Why are they in the base?”, Sun Burst asked, still a little out of it as he glanced warily at the two heroes. 

“This isn’t base, Lo”, Sonic Scream said and Sun Burst frowned, looking back at his partner. 

“Then why is your mask off, Pat?”, Sun Burst asked looking confused and a little worried. Then his eyes strayed to the collar and his own began to glow a bright red, eyes flashing with fear. 

“It’s okay, calm down, Lo. They know. They saved us and they’re not going to hurt us”, Sonic Scream said slowly, trying to calm his partner. 

“W-what if he finds out, Pat? H-he’s going to…he’ll…”, Sun Burst trailed off and Sonic Scream pulled the villain into a hug.

“He won’t find out, I promise. And if he…if he tries what he tried last night…I’ll…uh…I’ll give him nightmares or a week”, Sonic Scream said with a slight hint of ferocity in his voice, smirking a little as Sun Burst hugged him close. 

“Who’s ‘him’?”, Virgil asked and the two villains looked at him, Sun Burst turning around so he could fully view the heroes.

“Our boss. Did Pat- I mean, Sonic Scream, not tell you about him?”, Sun Burst asked, looking from one hero to the other. 

“No. He did mention something about you two having other powers apart from the ones you’re named after”, Roman said, frowning a little as Sun Burst shrunk back into Sonic Scream a little. 

“W-well…yes?”, Sun Burst said, a little wary of the heroes. He adjusted his glasses and gently gripped Sonic Scream’s hand. 

“Do you mind telling us?”, Roman asked, trying to sound as approachable and calming as he could while Virgil leaned back and slid to the ground, closing his eyes. 

“Well, I’m a psionic. And S-Sonic Scream’s can make people witness their fears”, Sun Burst said and Roman nodded slightly. 

“What’s a psionic?”, Roman asked, making Sun Burst smile and chuckle a little. Sonic Scream smirked at the question before answering. 

“He can control machines and other technology, so long as he knows how it works”, Sonic Scream said with a smile. 

“Then…that means you don’t know how the collars work”, Roman said, piecing it together. Sun Burst looked at the ground and nodded, while Sonic Scream rubbed his back a little. The pair looked so hopeless and dejected, the fire breather felt bad for saying his conclusion out loud. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’ve been trying for a while to figure out how exactly the collars are made and how the robotics and technology all fits together, but no luck”, Sun Burst said with a frown. 

“How come you don’t use those powers in our fights?”, Virgil asked, finally speaking up. 

“If we used our powers we’d be separated. Weak people team up with other people to make a stronger group. If they knew how strong we were they’d split us up, make us fight other people too. They’d also lock us away from the most part. Since I’m a psionic they’d want me away, thinking I could unlock people’s collars. Sonic Scream would be placed under surveillance due to his fear abilities. They’d up the shock of his collar and we’d never see each other again”, Sun Burst explained. Roman frowned and Virgil grimaced at the thought. 

“Why don’t you…why don’t you come with us? We can get someone to remove the collars back at base”, Roman offered and the villain’s looked taken aback. 

“You do know we’re meant to be the bad guys right, slugger?”, Sonic Scream said and Roman tsked. 

“We don’t care, or at least I don’t care”, Roman said with a genuine smile. The villain’s smiled back, but the smiles vanished when Sun Burst fell to the ground with a cry of pain. 

“Logan!”, Sonic Scream yelped before he fell to the ground too. The collars made a crackling sound and Roman stood up abruptly. 

“Wh-what’s going on?”, he asked, feeling a little fear well up inside him as Virgil stood too, eyes wide and scared. 

“S-shocks…we…we need to go back to base or…or they’ll shock us till we die”, Sonic Scream coughed out as another shock ran through him. 

“Where’s the base?”, Virgil asked, feeling his time slowing powers swell in him. His hands twitched to make a portal. 

“Corner of fifth and Conners. Leave us outside”, Sonic Scream said as Sun Burst let out a small cry of pain. Roman nodded and looked at Virgil who nodded back and made a time bubble, slowing the world around him to a standstill. He made his portal, touched Roman and the two grabbed the villain’s depositing them in the place they needed to be. There were two guards outside the front door and the building itself was a thing out of an architect’s nightmares. 

Falling apart it stood seven stories tall, leaning a little to the right and covered in a dark grey, peeling paint. It was decrepit and the entire area smelled like week old raw meat. The doors, once made of glass, were shattered and broken, glass lining the steps like the many broken dreams these people must have given up on. 

Roman felt a little sick at the sight. This was where their nemesis’ slept, ate, lived. It was worse than the place above their base. It was terrible. Virgil seemed to be having the exact same thoughts as he carried Sun Burst’s body to the door, seeming to wonder if he should even bother dropping the man off. 

“This is where they live?”, Virgil asked, frowning as his hand on Roman’s forearm loosened slightly. 

“Let’s take them to ours”, Roman said and for once Virgil agreed with him. The heroes walked into an alleyway and dropped the two men off, grimacing as the red light lit up again and again, shocks running through the pair. The time bubble dispersed and Virgil made a portal back to their rooms, they dropped the villains off and then took a portal back to the entrance, grabbing their keys off Terrance and practically running from the elevator to their room. The shocks hadn’t died down and the two had stopped moving. The heroes grimaced trying to think of anyone who’d be good with technology. 

“Randal?”, Roman offered. Virgil shook his head. 

“Jonathan?”, Virgil said and Roman frowned. 

“Roland?”, Roman tried, Virgil scrunched up his face. 

“Peter”, Virgil said and Roman shook his head. 

“Joan?”, Roman said and Virgil lifted an eyebrow. “We need to get someone to help them or…or I mean, we could…take them off ourselves”, Roman posited, shifting uncomfortably as the red lights lit up softly. “They’re dying, Verge.”

“I know…could you…could you melt the collars without hurting them too much?”, Virgil asked and Roman bit his lip. 

“I mean, if we slowed down time, maybe”, Roman suggested, thinking over the possibilities. 

“I’ll get some water. We’ll slow down time and get those things off them. I might…I mean I could try and portal the things off before any of that”, Virgil said and Roman nodded softly. The portal user reached out and gently touched Sun Burst’s collar, surprised by how cold it was despite the electrical currents running through it. He jolted back when the light lit up red and a shock ran through Sun Burst’s body. He waited until the light dimmed and then shot his hands out, quickly pushing a portal in and around the collar. He almost closed the portal when Roman used his fire to slash through the collar and the thing disappeared into his portal. Virgil looked at Roman, stunned before the man moved to the other collared villain. This time Virgil had an idea. The same process was completed, but Roman looked up when something heavy dropped onto the carpet a little way off from them. Two pieces of a circular, metal band sat innocently on the carpet, sparking a little as the circuitry was displayed. 

“You kept it”, Roman said as he walked over to the collar and kicked it a little. 

“If what Sun Burst says is true, he can learn how they work and we can take down this boss of theirs”, Virgil said, Roman nodded as he kicked the band a little more. 

“So, what now? We should probably get them some medical treatment, but they can’t be seen in…that”, Roman said, turning around and gesturing to the duo. Virgil nodded and looked over the two. Their outfits weren’t too badly torn up, but they could use some new clothes. Virgil walked into his room and appeared a moment later with a couple hoodies, some pants, shirts and underwear. 

“Let’s hope they fit them”, Virgil said and Roman let out a sound of annoyance. 

“Oh, please. Like they’d want your clothes, mine are so much better”, Roman said, walking into his room and appearing a moment later with his own assortment of clothing. The two bundles were a stark contrast to each other; one monochrome the other full of colour. There was a snigger and the heroes looked at their recently electrocuted companions. Sun Burst had his eyes open, looking at them with a tired, but amused expression. Virgil and Roman flushed a little in embarrassment and looked away from the villain. 

“How about this…I’ll wear some of Time Stealer’s clothes and Pat will wear some of Dragon’s clothes, sound good?”, Sun Burst offered and the pair relaxed a little. Virgil let a small smile slip onto his face and Roman grinned widely at the villain. 

“Sounds superb”, Roman said and Sun Burst nodded lightly before closing his eyes and dropping back into an unconscious state. 

“So, what now?”, Virgil asked and Roman let out a sigh, grin disappearing as he walked over and dropped his clothes onto the couch. 

“IV, I guess”, Roman said and Virgil nodded, prying open a portal to the med bay and sticking his head through, checking to see if anyone was there. He pulled back and nodded at Roman, opening the portal wider so the two could get into the med bay and smuggle out the items they required. 

“I’ll take Sun Burst to my room, you take Sonic Scream to yours”, Virgil said, picking up the dark clad villain before making his way to this room. Roman nodded and picked up Sonic Scream. He almost dropped the man when a knock came from the door. He rushed into his room and dropped the villain gently onto his bed, quickly pushing the IV into his room and shutting the door. His eyes met Virgil’s equally nervous once and the pair quickly straightened to their clothes to the best of their ability. With an air of confidence Roman made his way to the door and opened it, smiling down as the door revealed a nervous looking female. 

“Uh, Roman…I have a…a problem”, Valerie said and Roman looked at her with a confused expression. 

“They just dropped to the ground as we were fighting and…and I don’t know what to do”, Valerie said and the males studied the small, body in the hero’s arms. Terror-Former displayed limply as a red dot appeared behind the fabric of their outfit. 

“So, they're in the same position as Burst and Scream”, Roman whispered softly and Valerie looked at them confused by Roman’s words. 

“You mean, your nemesis’ are in this condition as well?”, Valerie asked and Roman nodded. Valerie looked down at Terror-Former and gently set the villain down on the couch. 

“Virgil”, Roman said and the man walked towards the villain, blushing lightly as he pulled off the mask, looking away as he tried to undo the collar of their outfit to expose the metal band. Valerie rolled her eyes and walked over, finishing off what Virgil had started. 

“Thank you”, Virgil muttered before Roman walked over and the two preformed the de-collaring process. Valerie just watched, before making her way over to the villain quickly and applying some of the ice powers to the small burns left from Roman’s fire. 

“We’ll get them an IV, you stay here and if Scream or Burst wake up and come out…just lock them back in our rooms, they need their rest”, Roman said and Valerie nodded. Virgil opened his portal back to the med bay and Roman grabbed an IV, struggling a little as Virgil’s portal waned with the strenuous effort to keep it open. 

They made their way back and almost jumped when Valerie let out a small scream. The heroes rushed through the portal and were confronted with Valerie’s back, a sleepy looking Sonic Scream perched on the doorframe, rubbing his eyes tiredly. 

“What? What’s wrong?”, Roman asked, tapping Valerie on her shoulder, the woman ignored him in favor of turning to look at Virgil’s door, Sun Burst stood there with a dazed look. Valerie ran to the villains pulling them into a hug, a huge smile on her face. Sonic Scream smiled back, while Sun Burst gave her a polite nod and let a small smile flitter across his face. 

“I can’t believe you guys are Sonic Scream and Sun Burst!”, Valerie yelled out and the two villains winced. 

“I can’t believe you still have those lungs intact”, Sun Burst muttered, frowning slightly as Valerie reached around his waist and pulled him in, constricting him with her arms. “V-Val…air…ox-oxygen…”

“It’s great to see you, kiddo, but I think Logan needs to breathe”, Sonic Scream said, making Valerie blush in embarrassment and let go of the other man. Sun Burst dropped to the floor, coughing slightly and rubbing his stomach. 

“Sorry, Logan. I just…it’s been too long”, Valerie gushed, bending a little and patting the man’s back. ‘Logan’ adjusted his glasses and looked back at the hero with a scowl, before he sighed and let a smile grace his features. 

“It has been a rather long time. It’s hard to believe you still remember us”, ‘Logan’ said, standing and running a hand through his hair. 

“Well, you better believe it nerd-o cause your old pal Val is here to stay”, Valerie said, closing her eyes and laughing a little. Sonic Scream chuckled and Logan rolled his eyes at her statement. 

“Excuse me, but, uh, how do you all know each other?”, Roman asked and the three turned to look at the two male heroes.

“We grew up together. Myself, Valerie and Patton”, Logan explained, smiling a little as memories drifted though his mind. 

“You grew up together?”, Roman asked, trying to imagine the three as children. 

“We grew up together. That reminds me, remember when Vally had to go to the dentist and she completely froze the lobby?”, Sonic Scream, Patton, asked as he smiled widely. Logan nodded and Valerie groaned, a blush coming to her cheeks along with a smile. 

“I couldn’t go to any dentist within a six-mile radius”, Valerie said with a laugh. 

“That was the first time you used your powers too, correct?”, Logan said and Valerie nodded. 

“My parents were so proud, but I still got a lecture on proper use”, Valerie muttered and Logan put a hand on her shoulder. 

“They’d still be proud now. You made it into the superhero league”, he said. 

“They’d be so amazed, kiddo”, Patton said and the two males pulled her into a hug. 

“Thanks, guys”, she said, hugging the two villains close. The heroes watched confused and slightly shocked, the feeling lasted a minute or so before Roman shook his head and coughed. The three parted and turned to look at the heroes. 

“Yes?”, Valerie asked, looking a little tired and annoyed that the fire breather had interrupted the moment. 

“Uh…so…you two are okay now?”, Roman asked, biting the inside of his cheek. 

“Oh, yes. We’re fine, thank you for helping us”, Patton said with a smile. Roman scratched the back of his neck and looked at the floor. 

“So, uh…we kept two of the collars so, uh…Sun Burst, if you want you can try and work out how they work”, Roman said, swallowing before looking up. He was taken aback by how happy the usually stoic man looked, like a child on their birthday. 

“Really?”, Logan asked, a smile stretching across his face, eyes shining brightly behind his glasses. 

“Y-yeah. It’s over there”, Virgil said, stuttering a little and jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. The villain was there in a second, grabbing the collar and looking at the circuitry inside with a fascinated, excited expression. Patton and Valerie laughed a little, before the psionic stood, gripped the collar to his chest and pulled the heroes into a hug. 

“Thank you. Thank you both so much”, he said, letting go and taking a seat against the wall, studying the collar intently. 

“Lo, take some time off. I mean, I know it’s been a while since you could properly use your powers, but you should take some time to rest before you go trying to use them”, Patton said and Logan looked back at him with a small pout. 

“Give me five minutes and I’ll be able to take it apart and put it back together again, no problem”, Logan said, running his fingers and hands over the collar as he looked at his partner. 

“Fine, but then you take a rest. In the meanwhile, I’m going to take a nap and…”, Patton trailed off as his eyes wandered over to the villain, still unconscious. “Talyn?”

“You know my nemesis?”, Valerie asked and Patton nodded. 

“What happened to her?”, he asked, moving to the small body slowly. 

“Same as you, I presume. Friend of yours?”, Valerie asked making Patton nod once more. 

“We live in the same department. They…well…They're good to us, to Logan”, Patton said and there was a clatter as the collar dropped from Logan’s hands. The villain swallowed, looking up at Terror-Former’s body. 

“Talyn?”, Logan asked and Patton sighed softly, putting a hand on the villain's forehead. 

“Yeah. They’ll be okay, but they need rest, like you”, the villain said, looking back at his partner. 

“Fine, but only if you rest as well”, his partner said stubbornly.

“Yay! Slumber party!”, Valerie yelled making Patton chuckle while the other villain flinched and frowned. 

“No, no slumber parties”, Logan said with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Aw, come on Logan”, Valerie whined. 

“No”, the man said firmly. 

“Why not? Last time was fun.”

“You made me kiss the boy across the street!”, Logan yelled in frustration. Patton and Valerie burst out into peals of laughter. Roman chuckled a little and Virgil smirked at the thought. 

“He…he was so into it”, Valerie said through the laughter. 

“He called me ‘fish lips’ for the rest of the year!”, Logan yelled making Valerie drop to the ground, laughter bouncing off the walls. Patton laughed louder at the memory while Roman sniggered with Virgil. 

“O-okay…okay, no slumber parties”, Valerie said, her laughter dying, but her large smile staying firmly in place. 

“Thank you”, Logan grumbled, picking the collar piece up again and beginning to examine the electronics inside. 

“I still can’t believe you guys are villains”, Valerie said, having stopped laughing completely. 

“Not by choice”, Logan muttered and Patton took a seat with his back against the couch. 

“I take it the collars have something to do with this”, Valerie asked and the villain duo nodded in unison. 

“The collars shock us if we do something wrong”, Patton said softly, touching his bare neck with a cold hand. 

“The red lights were a warning of sorts. The angrier we got the brighter they glowed. When they reached maximum brightness within the base we were shocked. Outside the base we were good”, Logan explained, his shoulders slumping a little. 

“That’s…that’s horrible…where’s this base?”, Valerie asked, voice changing from horrified to calm. Logan shook his head with a small smile. 

“Uh, uh. You’re not going to face the boss”, Logan said and Patton nodded in agreement. 

“He’s a tyrant on his good days”, Patton said, eyes snapping to Logan who shifted uncomfortably. Valerie looked at the two before standing, walking over to Logan, dropping down and grabbing his outfit, making the man blush a little and Patton stifle a laugh. 

“S-stop that”, Logan said as his shoulder was revealed making Valerie back up a little. 

“He beat you up?”, Valerie asked as she surveyed Logan’s sickly, blue and purple spotted shoulder. Logan hesitated before giving the hero a small nod. Valerie stood up and turned to the door.

“Where are you going?”, Patton asked, knowing full well what she would say. 

“I’m going to kill this boss of yours”, Valerie said, looking back at Patton with a sickly-sweet smile. 

“No. No, you are not”, Logan said, standing and walking over to grab Valerie’s hand. 

“He hurt you when you were down”, Valerie said calmly, not looking back at Logan. 

“Yes, but he also has a base full of super powered people at his disposal”, Logan said and Valerie turned back to him with a frown. 

“I hate it when you’re right”, the female hero said and Logan let a smile slip onto his face. “Fine, you’ve convinced me not to go after them…for now.”

“Thank you. Now, Logan go rest. I’ll go too if you want me to”, Patton said, standing and gesturing to Virgil’s door. 

“Very well. A nap would be beneficial, I suppose”, Logan said, starting off down the hallway to the bedroom. He opened the door and closed it behind him, making a little bit of sound before the room went silent. 

“You’re going after him aren’t you”, Patton said and Valerie nodded with a smile. “I’m coming with you. He made me watch and I will not just sit by as you dish out the revenge.”

“Fine by me. You two want in?”, Valerie asked and the two heroes looked at the pair, glanced at each other and nodded. 

“We’ve got nothing better to do”, Virgil said with a smirk. 

“It’ll be easy with the four of us”, Roman said with a flourish. 

“Six of us”, Patton said. 

“Six?”, Roman asked looking confused.

“All of us. We’ll split up. Dragon you come with me, Time Stealer you go with Logan once he’s rested up, that leaves Vally with Talyn. Sound good?”, Patton asked and the group nodded. 

“Okay, I’m going to take Talyn back to my room to rest up…Virgil do you mind?”, Valerie asked and Virgil rolled his eyes, opening a portal back to Valerie’s room. “Thank you”, the ice user said with a smile as she moved her former nemesis’ and the IV into her room. 

“Good, now that’s all sorted, I bid you two good night”, Patton said with a smile. 

“Uh, Patton?”, Roman asked and the man turned to look at him. 

“You, uh…you can call me Roman. And this ball of sunshine if Virgil”, Roman said. Patton smiled wider. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Roman and Virgil”, he said before opening Roman’s door and disappearing inside. 

“Do you think we can make them superheroes?”, Virgil asked. 

“I think we can”, Roman said with a smile and the two sat down on the couch, smiling as sleep took over.


End file.
